


A Court of Masks and Deceptions

by HeartoftheThrone09



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, Azriel - Fandom
Genre: Blood and Violence, F/M, Multi, Past Violence, Warning: Abusive family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22128625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartoftheThrone09/pseuds/HeartoftheThrone09
Summary: I am the daughter of a king who forgot my name. I am Keva, youngest child and only daughter of the king of Hybern. After Hybern lost the war the seven high lords of Prythian came to Hybern, to a court of lies and deception to find my Eldest brother Jaxon is worse than the original king. They now are to decide whether to end my family reign and I must do everything I can to keep my head from rolling. I will become everything I despise to survive this court of lies and deception but one wrong move could see me dead before the high lords can get to me. This is cursed to end badly and heads will roll, I just have to ensure that it’s not mine however a certain shadowsinger might complicate this plan.
Relationships: Azriel (ACoTaR)/Original Character(s), Feyre Archeron/Rhysand, Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	A Court of Masks and Deceptions

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old story that I found in my old folder, so I decided to publish the beginning and hopefully gain some helpful criticism so that I can better my writing. Feel free to comment (helpful stuff please!) and enjoy. This was written a long time ago, so I hope nothing in here is offensive if so, I am sorry. Also a disclaimer, I do not own any of these characters except my own Original Characters.

The bells rang clear in the crisp morning air, they echoed off the white stones of the castle wall. One bell. Two. Then the final bell, signifying that the king has fallen. We lost the war. Soon the soldiers would return, not all who left Hybern three years ago would. Today was not going to be easy. I prayed to any gods that were listening that Kaw was one who would walk past those gates, alive and well. The white castle hall was empty, not a single soul, everyone was already down at the gates awaiting the men’s arrival. I should be down there with them but I can’t, at least not yet. My footsteps echoed softly on the white marble floor with black veins running through the ground as a child I had always mused what caused those black streaks. The blood of a demon. Pieces of night captured inside the marble. With every reluctant step, I neared the castle door. Today was the blackest day of my life. The king, my father has fallen and now I am left to the mercy of my Eldest brother Jaxson who probably didn’t know the meaning of the word mercy, he was more unhinged than my father. 

The two guards at the door took one look at me and opened the dark wooden oak doors leading out into the palace gardens. My long, tight black dress offered me little warmth against the cool morning wind. The black dress fit tightly around me, a long slit up to the knee, it had no sleeves but it did crawl up my neck holding the dress up. I was careful about choosing this dress. I had to be careful, every step I take will be assessed and watched. These vultures are waiting for me to take one wrong step, any excuse to see my head roll. I chose this dress to remind my brother why father chose to keep me alive. I was a bargaining chip, a way to form alliances. Mother often said that the gods were cruel to allow me to live that I would be better off to never have been born. Thank the cauldron that I was not born witless, I had a quick wit and was cunning enough to have survived this long and my long wavy red hair and misty blue eyes certainly did help. Now I was playing with fire, if my brothers see me as a threat they will waste no time eliminating that threat, eliminating me. I’ve spent years building my reputation, to everyone else in this court I am an air-head, a witless girl lucky enough to be born pretty otherwise my father would have thrown me in the river to drown as a baby, like all my other sisters born before me.

The garden was more a cemetery, most of the flowers had either died from the brutal winter we had just had or they had been killed by all the weeds that have overrun the dead garden. Frost covered the now frozen ground, the grass was dry and long dead, but I still opted to travel on the ground rather than travel on that accursed stone path. The stones smooth and frozen and I was in black heels, it would likely end with me on my butt, which is not the impression I want, no need, to make. I need to be the picture of grace beauty and ignorance. 

Leaving the palace grounds I instantly found a bunch of soldiers and demanded to be taken to my mother, the consort of the king, the fallen king. Mother stood on a wooden platform, she looked stunning in her black dress, despite the black train covering her face anyone could see that she was stunning. Slowly I ascended onto the platform taking my place next to my mother, my hand gripped a black handkerchief, not that I need it. I knew what I needed to do to show the right amount of grief and anger. I pulled the black train over my face, my hair pulled back into a formal bun with a black train sewed into it. Mother didn’t so much as look at me and I didn’t bother to check if she was okay. The white ebony gate opened and I could feel my breath catch in my chest. 

There at the front of the gate was four soldiers carrying a dark brown oak coffin, engraving carved into it. In there my father's body lay, cold and stiff, decaying away and some small part of me, a spiteful part of me was relieved. He was dead. He was finally dead. The monster who made me fight for my life every day was gone, unfortunately, with his death, another monster rose to the throne. A monster taught to be worse than his predecessor, Jaxson will be crowned king and thus a new dark age will begin. It was a struggle not to stiffen at the sight of my three brothers who followed after the coffin, they held themselves high and proud not a slight sign of grief on their faces. First was Jaxson, he and I both shared the same dark blue greyish misty eyes but his slightly tanned skin and blacker than black hair. He wasn’t rakishly handsome for a fae, he was pretty average but he still had a strong build much like father. Behind him followed the second eldest, Nassir, he and I shared our red hair but nothing else. He had tanned skin and black eyes that enjoyed watching people scream and beg, he was as a crueller monster as any. Finally Draven with his smug smile, he had fathers black hair and shared his black eyes however he also had tanned skin unlike father and me who both shared pale skin that never darkened. It was as if we were born with an immunity to the sun. 

My mother burst into tears, sobbing at the loss of her ‘dear’ husband while I cried a few fake tears of sorrow, I didn't break down but I made sure that everyone saw me gracefully wipe away one small tear with my black handkerchief. A clever performance. Careful to not seem overly upset but still grieved by the loss, as if he were a part of my life the way a father should be. This lasted for hours, more men passed by, a few I recognised but not the face that I was looking for but there in the sea of faces I saw him. His black ebony hair and almond brown eyes. He looked so much older than I remember him, it was an effort to not burst into tears at the sight of him. Caw had been my childhood friend, my only friend really. I owe him more than I could ever pay, it was he who taught me how to fight. Training me the way the commanders trained him. Thanks to him I could wield a sword just as good as any man would, I could wield knives even better but I was nowhere near becoming a good fighter. I often took to long to strike, I was too calculating. I was careful that my eyes didn't linger too long on him, I looked away as if I had been mistaken in thinking that I knew him. He didn’t even look in my direction, instead, he looked straight ahead his eyes never looking up. Not once. 

After three hours of standing the march was over, most people had left, gone home to welcome back their brother, father, friend. Those that stayed behind were the ones who had not seen their father, friend or brother march through those gates. They lay on the ground crying, cursing the name of Prythian and all those who dwell in it, I could feel their loss, their sadness. To lose someone so close, their pain must be unbearable. The guards outstretched their arms, it was time to leave. It was time to face my brothers. With a small flirting smile I thanked the guards and slowly descended the stairs, their leering eyes did not escape my notice as the slit that showed up to my thigh seemed to draw their attention. Good. It means that I’m attractive, not that they would act on it. We walked in silence as we hurried over the frozen stone path in the garden, all my focus went to me staying upright, to not slip. 

Entering that throne room was like entering a nightmare. Unlike the rest of the castle that’s made of white marble, the throne room was a light grey but the throne itself was white, carved with the bones of the mortal slaves over five hundred years ago before I was born. It was a wide throne with a long curved spike on either side of the throne made with the bones of Hyberns enemy. There was nothing kind or merciful when you look at the throne, it was an effort not to swallow in fear for there in the arm of the throne was Jaxson in his white fighting armour which was no longer white but covered with blood. It did not escape my notice that none of this blood was his own. It was if the throne was built for him, he looked every bit like the king he intended to be, cruel and dangerous. My two other brothers were on their knees bowing so low that their foreheads almost touched the ground, from the look on Jaxson’s face he enjoyed their grovelling so I curtsied so low I was almost on the ground as I removed my mourning train. The look on my brothers faces was shock, my full lips were painted a dark red and my hair looked like a wild untamed fire pulled up into a tight bun, my breast was full but that was because I had this dress specially made with extra padding as while I was blessed with beauty big breast did not come with it. Looking up through my extended eyelashes that carried on to black wings on the side of my face I could see his smile, I forced my face into an expression of confusion as if I didn’t understand what was happening, how every move made was monitored for any hidden suggestion. I portrayed the young naive girl, beautiful but stupid. The kind of girl these soldiers standing in the room want to get with, the girl my brother can sell like cattle in the name of an alliance. I was no better than cattle to these men.

The smile faded from Jaxson’s face, his mood soured as he said to no one in particular picking at his nail,  
“The seven high lords of Prythian are to arrive here in two days.” He paused but no one was stupid enough to say anything, I kept my head lowered, eyes to the ground waiting for him to continue, carefully showing a trace of fear but nothing else but the paling on my skin was not fake, that was real. The high lords are coming here! Jaxson continued his dark hateful blue eyes studying every person in the room, his eyes unrelenting as he continued,  
“Here they shall decide whether my family is to continue its long rein or if they split the land up between the seven high lords.”, I heard a bunch of gasps echo in the room, my mother trembled slightly. Her fate was just as uncertain as mine, even more so with the seven high lords coming to Hybern. Since the king is dead Jaxson has no use for her, she was the late king's husband, at best she would move into a small cottage and live out her days there at worst she could wind up dead. Traditionally the wife of the king was to be executed by the high lords however they had never married, she was a mistress of sorts, one that he favoured enough to allow her to live in the castle. 

It was silent for a few minutes before with a sweep of his hand Jaxson dismissed everyone in the room except for Nassir, Dravin and a few trusted generals and advisors, no doubt to talk about the soon to be arriving high lords. 

The day arrived to quickly. I could feel my heart thud in my chest as servants continued to dress me. I suggested what dress they should dress me in, it was one I had recently made with a few clever pockets that went deep into my dress that allowed me to hide one of my daggers. It was another long dress but unlike my black mourning dress, it was not tight around my hips and legs but rather spread out like the wings of a bird. It was a light blue, the colour of the sky in the early morning just before the sun showed it’s head. It had two short sleeves that sat gently stroking my shoulder in the reassurance that my dress won’t fall and reveal more than what I was willing to show. Small white pieces of material covered the bodice of the dress and slowly dispersed until it was just the lush blue material.  
“Keva,” someone snapped, I turned my head, much to the dismay of the servants who were trying to do my hair in some fancy way. My nursemaid Aura stood, her eyebrows narrowed at the sight of the dress, 

“You chose that one?” She said eyebrows raised as she questioned my choice. I nodded unable to say anything, my mouth was dry and every muscle is tense, today my head could roll on the ground if the high lords decided to end my families reign. Aura pulled a grey wisp of hair out of her blue eyes before sending the servants running out of the room as she narrowed her eyes at them, it was a look I knew too well and I understood why the servants had left in such a rush. Aura was swift on her feet despite her appearance, she always mused that it was from chasing me around the castle grounds when I was a child that have given her such quick feet. She swept up my hair and begun sticking a pin in my orange-golden hair, my mother moved here from the autumn court in her youth, hence my red hair. I looked down at my hands and was surprised to see myself so fidgety,  
“Oww,” I said as a pin struck my head with such a force I was certain that I was bleeding,  
“Don’t” she hissed, the pin had been a warning. She didn’t say what I shouldn’t do I already knew. 

Don’t show any sign of weakness or any sign of clear understanding. As Aura had once instructed me, “Don’t speak unless you are spoken to and when you do speak imagine that each word you say could wind up getting you killed. Never say anything without thinking it through. You won’t survive long if you don’t learn to listen, so use the cunnings and beauty the gods gifted you with because mark my words you won’t survive long any other way.”.  
She was right of course. The wrong word could get you killed, the right one could see you become the most important person in Hybern. Aura had taught me as a child how to listen while seeming as if I was doing anything but, it was this skill combined with my wits that had seen me through this court. I knew more than most, secrets that could bring this kingdom crumbling down it was only a matter of wielding them to my advantage. Aura had pinned my hair as plait across the top of my hair, it was like a crown across hair, a crown made of fire. Risky. It was risky to wear something, it could broadcast the wrong message. Jaxson was so unhinged he might perceive it as a challenge, a challenge that would end up with me dead. Killed in my sleep. I was nothing but a piece in their game but they were only pawns in mine.


End file.
